Porto, Oporto

We went by train the next morning via Aveiro Line to Porto, and since we already have our tickets from the day before, we only had to wait for the train.

Porto (also known as Oporto) is a vibrant city and has a rich cultural offering. It is the second major urban area in Portugal. The nightlife is very alive (as I've heard) and there are numerous concerts and parties. You can always check out on their website. For those who want it easy, you can visit Porto and hit an exciting neighbourhood in one day. But of course if one wants to see a whole lot more, it's advisable to stay a few more days.

We arrived at Estação São Bento (São Bento Station) and started our sightseeing. The station itself is already an architectural gem. The building was designed with a touch of French Renaissance. We first went to a nearby tourist office where we got a good city map and tips for a tour. Then we made a trip to the subway going to Casa da Música, a major concert hall and houses the cultural institution with the same name. For an architecture enthusiast like myself, it is a must see place. The place is open for guided tours. We were there and unfortunately had to wait for the next couple of hours for the following guided tour inside, so we decided to just go around and took some pictures.

We went back to the subway to São Bento, the original starting point of the tour. From there, we climb up to the Sé do Porto (Porto Cathedral) in which we could barely get in and already whisked away since they are closing. So we didn't really see anything inside the church. But in front of the cathedral is a fantastic panorama of the city and the Douro river. Then we were off to see the main attraction of Porto, the bridges. But before, we went to the Funicular dos Guindais, a cable car from Batalha station going down the steep hill, the Ribeira station, which is on the foot of the bridge, Ponte Dom Luis I.

Although the trip with this funicular was somewhat unique, there was hardly anyone there, saved for a Russian couple. This was perhaps because of the unattractive entrance when you come to a city wall, then down a flight of stairs. It didn't cost us extra since we already had our day pass for all the public transport. We weren't so sure at first how to go about since we were the only people in there. There was an indicator which shows a number 26, and we thought that the cable car is only available in 26 minutes. We wanted to ask the man behind the counter but was too busy talking on the phone. Suddenly there came a signal (a blinking yellow light), and the thing just drove off without us. Then we waited for the next empty wagon, got in and drove down the steep hill. I was supposed to meet up with my friend Margo who is also there for a visit and have been texting our whereabouts. Funny though because I didn't see the people inside the incoming wagon and she texted me that she just saw us in the car going down.

Below, we were right at the foot of Ponte Dom Luis I and the nearby Ponte Maria Pia. Ponte Maria Pia was engineered by Gustave Eiffel in 1877, the same Eiffel who built the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, whereby the Ponte Dom Luis I was a sole responsibility of Téophile Seyrig. We walked on the bridge towards Vila Nova de Gaia, which is actually a separate city. Vila Nova de Gaia already existed during the Roman empire. It is also well known for its "lodges" (locally known as caves) where the world-famous Port wine is stored and aged. The lodges become a primary tourist magnet. We were already approached a lot to visit the wine cellars. I would have loved to, but due to our time constraints, we decided to just go about. We wanted to take a boat tour, so we asked for tickets at one of many tour vendors on the river.  It was still half an hour to wait, so we had time to have a little break at the cafe nearby.

On the boat, we were together with a load of elderly tourists who were travelling as a group, and we first had to wait for them until we could take off. Despite the rainy and cold weather, it was a fantastic tour through the numerous bridges and past the  "Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar", which is also a part of the World Heritage Site of Porto. Unfortunately, the monastery is off limits to tourists.

Going back to Porto, we wanted to cross the bridge but this time on the top. You can take a cable car in Vila Nova de Gaia going up the hill. The view on top is fantastic. We come up to the next tram stop and then cross the bridge riding the tram. Passing by the "Praça da Liberdade" and the church "Igreja dos Clerigos" with its imposing tower, we went to the "Centro Português de Fotografia". There was an exhibit of press photography about Afghanistan.

Finally, I wanted to meet up with my friend Margo and her friend, so we took a taxi to where they are. From there, we rode the bus back Casa da Música where we had some coffee and cake and a good chat. I've met her in Lìsek during our training course in 2011. It was nice seeing her again after a long time. Then it was time to say goodbye again, and we headed to the train station in São Bento. At Aveiro, we went to our favourite food court at the mall to get our dinner.

Liberalitas Julia, Evora

We started quite early the next day. The bus from Lagos to Evora begins at 7:20 a.m., but we needed some buffer time just to get to the station. Eventually, we got up at 4:00 a.m. and had enough time to eat breakfast at our place and got ready slowly.

Since we had no desire to schlepp our luggage across town to the bus station, I asked my friend to call a taxi. I remember we got the calling card of the taxi when we arrived in Lagos. His attempt to call the cab gone awry since the one who picked up on the other end didn't speak any English. My friend already resigned to walking to the station. Then I decided to call again. It was harrowing to talk to the person on the other line. I tried my very best with the few Portuguese words I have learned and ask him to come to the address of the hotel. I wasn't even sure if the person on the line actually understood me. We decided to take our luggage out of the apartment and thought we would give him at least 10 minutes to fetch us. So we waited, and fortunately, the cab came to fetch us. Then I realised it was Vitali, the same driver who drove us when we arrived.

We arrived at the station and got plenty of time to wait for the departure since we've already bought our ticket online. The ticket can also be purchased at the station btw. And it costs 15.20€ per person. Anyhow, we had to travel first to Albufeira and get another bus from there to Evora. Another alternative is going with the train from Lagos to Albufeira, but our travel guide said that the train station and bus station are far away from one another. It seems to be complicated for us, and we don't know how much time we needed to get from point a to point b. It was, of course, easier with the bus since it will get you just everywhere you wish to go as long as it is in the plan. Buses in Portugal are quite reliable. So we arrived right at the bus station in Albufeira (Calicos). We had plenty of time for our onward journey, so we took our breakfast at a nice cafe at the station. The terminal is quite modern, and I personally like the architectural style. I'm impressed with how clean it is. That was probably the most convenient stop during our whole journey. The departure has electronic signs as to where to go and which numbers of the platform and bus.

Our bus left at 9:15 a.m. and we had a brief stopover in Castro Verde, where we initially thought to stay for a couple of nights. The bus station is not looking so great, so we were actually happy with not staying there. Otherwise, we considered about staying in Mertola, which supposed to be really lovely but the transportation is supposed to be not so reliable.

We arrived in Evora at 12:30 p.m. and decided to take a taxi to our hotel. The hotel is located in the city centre right at Praça Giraldo, whereas the bus station was outside the city walls. We were kind of curious about this "design hotel" so we booked a room for 55€ per night at the Evora Inn Chiado Design. The price did not include breakfast but could be ordered for a couple of euros more. It did not matter anyway because we planned to start early the next days when they haven't opened their dining area yet. But first, we had to wait to check-in since our room was not ready. It was a bit of a challenge with the language. The chambermaid doesn't really speak English, but we asked her if we could store our luggage in the room. We weren't sure if she understood us but eventually it was agreed that we leave our pieces of luggage.

We immediately took off after depositing our things and went around town for some sightseeing. We started our walking tour with a lunch at a restaurant "O Cruz" right next to the church, the "Igreja de São Francisco". This gothic-Manueline church was built from 1480-1510  under the King João II and finished under King Manuel. Immediately a dog kept our company at the restaurant, but we thought against feeding it. We heard that those dogs will follow you around.

Then we went to the chapel next to the church, the "Capela dos Ossos" or chapel of bones. It is one of the best-known monuments of Evora. The interior of this chapel was decorated with human skulls and bones. Quite spooky.

The Capela dos Ossos was built in the 16th century by a Franciscan monk who, in the Counter-Reformation spirit of that era, wanted to prod his fellow brothers into contemplation and transmit the message of life being transitory. This is clearly shown in the famous warning at the entrance Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos (“We, the bones that are here, await yours.").

 Afterwards, we went to see the market, but it was empty at the time, so we moved on to the "Jardim Publico", the public park. There were some ruins, an old building of Palacio de Dom Manuel and some peacocks.

Finally, it was time to check-in, so we went back to the hotel. The receptionist was quite friendly in spite of the not so good command of the English language. The room was quite small, but it was okay. We were on the top roof, and of course, we had to haul our heavy luggage up on the narrow stairs. We were on the rooftop, but it was not much use for me since it was still cold when we were there. The location is quite ideal, in the middle of the old historic town and the bus station is not that far from the city centre either, but with the luggage in tow, it would be no fun. It is advisable to take a taxi, and it should not cost more than 10 euros.

The weather was not the best, but it was good enough to walk around town. The town of Evora was enlisted to the UNESCO's World Heritage List due to its well-preserved old town centre which still enclosed by medieval walls, massive monuments dating from various historical periods. A Roman temple, also known as "Templo de Diana", the imposing Evora Cathedral (Sé de Évora) and S.Brás chapel (built in 1480 and an excellent example of moresque-gothic with cylindrical buttresses), are included in the listing.

We then went to see the remaining part of the aqueduct, the Aqueduto da Água de Prata (Aqueduct of Silver Water, with its prominent arches stretching for 8 kilometres). This aqueduct was built in 1531-1537 under the tutelage of King João III to supply the city with water.